Belligundi Falls - The Leviathan of Adventure

Belligundi trek was one of the exiting treks I ever had with my friend Ashok which is one of the most picturesque place of Western Ghats, falling from a height of 300 feet and hidden deep in the forests.. I visited this place long back with some everlasting memories and was surely a tough task for the trekkers through the flowing streams, rolling velvet hills,Passing through dense jungles and lush green forests with the steep slopes and huge boulders was totally a great escapade ever we did on this land and the the sight of the cascade feast to the eyes.

 

My friend Srikanth recently made successful trip to this place with his friends on 10th December .I really thank to him for sharing his experience in my blog about his voyage with solid photos and details.

 

---After my first trek in 2007 to the base of Belligundi falls, time and again plans for a re-trek fell flat due to logistics and guide issues.  This time, things fell in place and we headed off on a crisp bright morning of Dec 9 from Hebbage in shimoga.  A sharp turn on the smooth highway led us to the beautiful farm of our genial guide Halappa who was waiting for us.

 

The initial crossover from his farm leads to vision of what lies ahead, the entrance of a massive, dark, dense jungle filled with huge trees.  There is a well walked path which leads to a small forest temple, this is the actual start of trek.  There is exactly no path but Halappa's memory of forest led us into deeper dense jungle which without him looked similar everywhere the cluster of trees.  The first 1 hour of walking through the dense leech infested, damp, moss filled ground took us to a small man made pool.  Halappa told there was an abandoned fort akin to Kanoor Kote now total down and overgrown by forest, swallowed total.  Exact 1 hour walk from here showcases an array of monstrous trees over 100 feet in height.  This leads to the second part of trek which is the opening of a cliff.  It is 3 kms treacherous climb down at inclination of 70 degrees leading to the first sight of falls. From here we are greeted with boulders strewn all around with varying sizes and shapes with gushing water. In monsoon time these rocks remain submerged making it near impossible to crossover. A careful negotiation of the boulders brings us to the base of falls in its full glory. The surprising thing is it is not at all deep at the base even with falls Cascading at a height of 500 feet. One can easily stand below the falls.

 

The panorama photo shows the height of the falls with my friend sitting below the falls.  Truly amazing sight!!

 

Standing below the falls one can only wonder at the might of the falls in monsoon glory - evident the way it has cut and shaped the valley below.  One can easily spot the belligundi viewpoint which is the opposite cliff from where one can see this falls standing at the cliff edge on their way to Goodanagundi Falls and below it Maalurgundi Falls. Our preference for this route though it is tough was the sheer beauty of the forest and the added beauty of huge trees rarely spotted outside.

After a dip in the magical waters it was time to finish our quick lunch and head back.  Camping was a good idea too but it was another plan altogether. The climb back initial 3 kms of the cliff is one real herculean task until the even forest ground is reached.  The beauty of such a tall falls undisturbed by human presence was worth all the hardship.  With hearts filled with accomplishment and savoring the beauty indelibly graven in our heart and mind, we set out the ascent back to civilization.

A truly memorable adventure worth doing time and again!!My sincere thanks to Rakesh Holla for letting me to contribute to his blog.